Skyward Sword - Raising the Bar at Eldin Volcano

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We can finally discuss Skyward's second dungeon. Here's what we thought of it.

By Audrey Drake

Following our nine hour play session of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Nintendo Executive Editor Rich George and I have covered just about every aspect of what we've seen thus far. From the new one-to-one combat to the brilliant pacing to the updated transportation system to Skyloft and beyond, so far Skyward Sword has far exceeded our expectations.

With the last embargo finally lifting, we can now discuss the game's second temple and what we saw within it. We're happy to report it was just as impressive, well-paced and cleverly surprising as the rest of the game.

Be warned, though. We try not to unleash too many spoilers in our Skyward Sword coverage, but if you don't want to know anything from this far in the game, you should probably stop reading. Seriously, don't say we didn't warn you.

Are you ready for Link's next adventure?

Falling in line with what seems to be Skyward Sword's mission statement, the second temple masterfully blends familiar Zelda concepts with fresh ideas. It was this game's version of the fire temple, and getting there was something of a minor dungeon itself - full of enemies to be outsmarted and clever, bomb-centric puzzles to be cracked.

Using the Wii remote to skillfully roll or toss bombs to just the right place was incredibly important leading up to and inside of the dungeon - so be sure you don't take learning these basics at the game's outset lightly. Given the heavy focus on explosives, it came as no shock when the item of choice for this area was a bomb bag ripe for the packing.

The dungeon itself was fill of familiar enemies, like Lizalfos and Fire Keese, but some of them had new moves up their sleeves. The Lizalfos, for example, employed a more defensive strategy that took me off guard.

Having just played Ocarina of Time 3D not too long ago, I was expecting the pair of lizard warriors I came across to follow a similar pattern than they did in that game. However, their strategy - which involved occasionally ducking beneath a shield - was changed up just enough to keep things interesting and new.

Long time no see, fire keese.

These familiar faces were mixed with new ones - each requiring due diligence from the player to escape unscathed. It's refreshing to see the difficulty stack up in a Zelda game. It's been a very long time since Link had to really be on his guard to survive. For more experienced gamers, having to keep an eye on their heart count should come as a pleasant surprise.

What struck me most about this dungeon were the puzzles and the boss. One puzzle in particular felt really new, even for a Zelda veteran like myself. It required Link to jump on top of and maneuver a large boulder across a pool of lava, searching for all the necessary components to raise a couple of platforms with stairs and open up the path forward. The way this puzzle was laid out, and the way it required you to examine the world, felt really inventive and satisfying to solve.

As for that boss, you'll recognize him from trailers past - he's the big, rocky, spider-monster that comes barreling toward the screen spewing fire. The fight against him was the most exciting I've played in Skyward yet, forcing you to run from, dodge, pursue and expertly throw bombs at this behemoth until little by little Link's blade stripped away his molten shell.

Whatever you do, don't panic!

This boss, and the dungeon leading up to him, have me excited for what lies beyond in the world of Skyward Sword. After just two dungeons I already feel like I've been on such a long journey. Whatever secrets Skyloft and the world below holds, I can't wait until November 20 to find out.